Monitoring media exposure using wireless communications

Abstract

Disclosed examples involve collecting a cookie at a client device based on media accessed via a web page at the client device, and selecting a portable device identifier at the client device. The portable device identifier corresponds to a closest one of a plurality of portable devices in wireless communication with the client device. The portable device identifier is associated with a particular person. In response to instructions embedded in the media, a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request is sent to a server. The HTTP request includes the cookie, the portable device identifier, and information identifying exposure to the media.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method to collect media exposure data, comprising:
 collecting a cookie at a client device based on media accessed via a web page at the client device; 
 selecting a portable device identifier at the client device, the portable device identifier corresponding to a closest one of a plurality of portable devices in wireless communication with the client device, the portable device identifier associated with a particular person; and 
 in response to instructions embedded in the media, sending a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request to a server, the HTTP request including the cookie, the portable device identifier, and information identifying exposure to the media. 
 
     
     
       2. A method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising identifying the closest one of the portable devices by:
 collecting signal characteristics corresponding to the wireless communication between the portable devices and the client device; and 
 selecting the closest one of the portable devices based on one of the signal characteristics being comparatively best relative to the other signal characteristics. 
 
     
     
       3. A method as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the signal characteristic is one of a link quality, a signal strength, or a transmit power level. 
     
     
       4. A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication is a Bluetooth communication. 
     
     
       5. A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the cookie, the portable device identifier, and the information identifying exposure to the media cause the server to credit the particular person with being exposed to the media. 
     
     
       6. A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the media is at least one of audio, video, text, an image, an animation, a database, a web page, broadcast media, or streaming media. 
     
     
       7. A method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising, in response to detecting that the media is accessed at the client device:
 establishing the wireless communications between the client device and the plurality of portable devices; and 
 obtaining signal characteristics corresponding to the wireless communications of the portable devices, the signal characteristics to facilitate the selecting of the portable device identifier at the client device. 
 
     
     
       8. An apparatus to collect media exposure data, comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a storage memory comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
 collect a cookie at a client device based on media accessed via a web page at the client device; 
 select a portable device identifier at the client device, the portable device identifier corresponding to a closest one of a plurality of portable devices in wireless communication with the client device, the portable device identifier associated with a particular person; and 
 in response to instructions embedded in the media, send a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request to a server, the HTTP request including the cookie, the portable device identifier, and information identifying exposure to the media. 
 
 
     
     
       9. An apparatus as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:
 collect signal characteristics corresponding to the wireless communication between the portable devices and the client device; and 
 select the closest one of the portable devices based on one of the signal characteristics being comparatively best relative to the other signal characteristics. 
 
     
     
       10. An apparatus as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the signal characteristic is one of a link quality, a signal strength, or a transmit power level. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the wireless communication is a Bluetooth communication. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the cookie, the portable device identifier, and the information identifying exposure to the media cause the server to credit the particular person with being exposed to the media. 
     
     
       13. An apparatus as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the media is at least one of audio, video, text, an image, an animation, a database, a web page, broadcast media, or streaming media. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:
 establish the wireless communications between the client device and the plurality of portable devices; and 
 obtain signal characteristics corresponding to the wireless communications of the portable devices, the signal characteristics to facilitate the selecting of the portable device identifier at the client device. 
 
     
     
       15. A computer readable storage device or storage disk comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:
 collect a cookie at a client device based on media accessed via a web page at the client device; 
 select a portable device identifier at the client device, the portable device identifier corresponding to a closest one of a plurality of portable devices in wireless communication with the client device, the portable device identifier associated with a particular person; and 
 in response to instructions embedded in the media, send a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request to a server, the HTTP request including the cookie, the portable device identifier, and information identifying exposure to the media. 
 
     
     
       16. A computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
 collect signal characteristics corresponding to the wireless communication between the portable devices and the client device; and 
 select the closest one of the portable devices based on one of the signal characteristics being comparatively best relative to the other signal characteristics. 
 
     
     
       17. A computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the signal characteristic is one of a link quality, a signal strength, or a transmit power level. 
     
     
       18. A computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the wireless communication is a Bluetooth communication. 
     
     
       19. A computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the cookie, the portable device identifier, and the information identifying exposure to the media cause the server to credit the particular person with being exposed to the media. 
     
     
       20. A computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the media is at least one of audio, video, text, an image, an animation, a database, a web page, broadcast media, or streaming media. 
     
     
       21. A computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
 establish the wireless communications between the client device and the plurality of portable devices; and 
 obtain signal characteristics corresponding to the wireless communications of the portable devices, the signal characteristics to facilitate the selecting of the portable device identifier at the client device.